Disease management in horses encompasses the strategies and practices employed to prevent, control, and treat diseases affecting equine populations. This field involves understanding the etiology, transmission, and clinical presentation of various equine diseases, as well as implementing biosecurity measures and therapeutic interventions. Common diseases in horses include equine influenza, strangles, and equine herpesvirus. Effective disease management relies on accurate diagnosis, vaccination protocols, and the use of antimicrobials and other treatments. This page compiles peer-reviewed research studies and scholarly articles that explore the methodologies, challenges, and advancements in managing diseases in equine health.
Seddighi R, Doherty TJ.Advancements in veterinary medicine have resulted in an increased number of geriatric horses being presented for medical or surgical procedures that require general anesthesia. Due to the physiological changes associated with aging and the likelihood of concurrent disease conditions, the geriatric equine is at an increased risk during anesthesia. The main physiological changes associated with aging, and their impact on anesthesia, are discussed in this review.
Alford CG, Caldwell FJ, Hanson R.Distal limb wounds occur commonly in horses, and treatment can be frustrating for owners and veterinarians. Caring for these wounds is often very expensive, labor intensive, and prolonged. Many commercial products and clinical techniques have been developed to help treat these wounds. Healing of these wounds depends on many factors. With proper wound evaluation and treatment, affected horses can return to function sooner than in the past.
Wagner B, Erb HN.Reported cases of Lyme disease (a chronic disease caused by infection with Borrelia burgdorferi) in humans increased more than two-fold between 1992 and 2006 in the United States. Recently, the annual number of reported human Lyme disease cases stabilized (according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention) but the geographic distribution seemed to increase. In New York (NY) State, USA, a spread from the original Lyme disease focus in southeastern parts of the state has occurred. We determined incidence risks of new companion animal infection in 2011 with B. burgdorferi by county in 45...
Hartig W, Houe H, Andersen PH.At present Denmark has no central database holding records of equine health and disease. Nor have attitudes to the establishment of a national database, and the concerns it raises, been investigated in a systematic way. The objective of the present study was to assess the attitudes and concerns of potential database stakeholders. Attitudes to participation, and the location, financing and management of the proposed database, together with any concerns it raises, were investigated in a questionnaire study of 13 potential stakeholder groups in Denmark (in total, 1581 questionnaire recipients and...
Dimock AN, Hoffman KD, Puchalski SM, Stover SM.Veterinarians have observed a putative change in the location of humeral stress remodelling in Thoroughbred racehorses with change from dirt to synthetic racetrack surfaces. Objective: To determine whether the location and severity of humeral stress remodelling differs between Thoroughbred racehorses exercising on dirt and synthetic racetrack surfaces, the potential significance of different locations of stress remodelling, and the potential usefulness of scintigraphy for prevention of complete humeral fracture. Methods: Scintigraphic images of humeri from 841 Thoroughbred racehorses at 3 race...
Gracia-Calvo LA, Martín-Cuervo M, Jiménez J, Vieítez V, Durán ME, Argüelles D, Ezquerra LJ.Horses (n=35) underwent orchidectomy in a single institution with a re-sterilised LSA as sole means of haemostasis. During the surgery, the gross quality of the seal, the stickiness of the forceps to the tissues, bleeding/oozing from the stump and the need for a subsequent application in already severed spermatic cord were assessed for haemostasis quality. After surgery, physical parameters (appearance of the mucous membranes, quality of the peripheral pulse, heart rate, respiratory rate, rectal temperature and blood dripping from the incisions), haematology or packed cell volume and total pro...
Rosanowski SM, Cogger N, Rogers CW, Benschop J, Stevenson MA.We conducted a cross-sectional survey to determine the demographic characteristics of non-commercial horses in New Zealand. A sampling frame of properties with non-commercial horses was derived from the national farms database, AgriBase™. Horse properties were stratified by property size and a generalised random-tessellated stratified (GRTS) sampling strategy was used to select properties (n=2912) to take part in the survey. The GRTS sampling design allowed for the selection of properties that were spatially balanced relative to the distribution of horse properties throughout the country. Th...
Sponseller BA, Clark SK, Friedrich RA.Determining mechanisms of viral escape to particular epitopes recognized by virus-neutralizing antibody can facilitate characterization of host-neutralizing antibody responses as type- versus group-specific, and provides necessary information for vaccine development. Our study reveals that a single N-glycan located in the 5' region of the Wyoming wild-type equine infectious anemia virus (EIAV) principal neutralizing domain (PND) accounts for the differences in neutralization phenotype observed between PND variants, while variations in charged amino acids within the PND do not appear to play a ...
Barrandeguy M, Vissani A, Olguin C, Barbara G, Valenzuela H, Becerra L, Tordoya M, Miño S, Thiry E.Equine coital exanthema (ECE), caused by equid herpesvirus 3 (EHV-3), has been recognized as an economically significant venereal disease for years. However, no infection models on the natural host have been established. In order to set up an experimental infection protocol, seronegative and seropositive mares were topically inoculated in the perineal region with 4 × 10(6)TCID(50)/ml of EHV-3. Clinical signs were then evaluated by means of a designed scoring system, and body temperature was recorded daily. Virological, and serological studies were also performed. Typical ECE lesions, with cli...
Rosanowski SM, Rogers CW, Cogger N, Benschop J, Stevenson MA.A survey was conducted to investigate biosecurity practices on non-commercial horse properties, to describe the number of visits by horse professionals and any protocols that visitors were required to follow before interacting with resident horses. Data were collected in November 2009 during a cross-sectional study of non-commercial horse properties, in New Zealand, selected using generalised random-tessellated stratified design and a self-administered postal questionnaire. Data were described and the associations between property-level factors and biosecurity practices were analysed using log...
Mukherjee S, Moody EE, Lewokzco K, Huddleston DB, Huang J, Rowland ME, Wilson R, Dunn JR, Jones TF, Moncayo AC.Human and equine outbreaks caused by eastern equine encephalomyelitis virus (EEEV) typically occur in North America adjacent to coastal wetlands associated with the presence of Culiseta melanura (Coquillet) mosquitoes. Eastern equine encephalomyelitis (EEE) is an emerging disease in Tennessee, as the first records of equine disease began in 2002. In 2006 we trapped and tested mosquitoes for EEEV at hardwood swamps in western Tennessee that were at the epicenter of a multi-equine outbreak in fall of 2005. Additionally, the Tennessee Valley Authority tested mosquito pools collected in Tennessee ...
Lunney JK, Kai C, Inumaru S, Onodera T.This special issue of Veterinary Immunology and Immunopathology summarizes the Proceedings of the 9th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium (9th IVIS) held August 2010, in Tokyo, Japan. Over 340 delegates from 30 countries discussed research progress analyzing the immune systems of numerous food animals and wildlife, probing basic immunity and the influence of stress, genetics, nutrition, endocrinology and reproduction. Major presentations addressed defense against pathogens and alternative control and prevention strategies including vaccines, adjuvants and novel biotherapeutics. A spe...
Ziska SM, Schumacher J, Duran SH, Brock KV.To develop a high-speed, continuous-flow, automated plasmapheresis procedure for the high-volume harvest of equine plasma in accordance with current good manufacturing practice. Methods: 143 horses (predominantly draft breeds) between 3 and 10 years of age at the time of purchase. Methods: Adaptations were made to automated plasmapheresis instruments and sterile disposable collection sets, which allowed for dual-instrument, continuous-flow operation. Donor horses were connected to the apparatus via 2 catheters (1 inserted in each jugular vein). The instruments removed whole blood from donors, ...
Borchers A, Wilkins PA, Marsh PM, Axon JE, Read J, Castagnetti C, Pantaleon L, Clark C, Qura'n L, Belgrave R, Trachsel D, Levy M, Bedenice D....Admission L-lactate concentration is a useful and commonly measured biomarker not previously prospectively evaluated in a large multicentre study of critically ill neonatal foals. Objective: To evaluate overall outcome and the association of survival and L-lactate concentration at admission ([LAC]ADMIT) by periparturient history, presenting complaint and clinicians' major diagnosis for ill neonatal foals. Methods: Thirteen university and private equine referral hospitals enrolled 643 foals over the 2008 foaling season. Case details, historical, clinical and clinicopathological data were entere...
Himler M, Hurcombe SD, Griffin A, Barsnick RJ, Rathgeber RA, MacGillivray KC, Toribio RE.Hypothalamic-pituitary-thyroid (HPT) axis dysfunction is associated with morbidity and mortality in critically ill people. To date, investigations of HPT axis in critically ill foals are limited. Objective: To document the occurrence of low thyroid hormone concentrations (presumptive nonthyroidal illness syndrome; NTIS) in critically ill newborn foals and investigate whether NTIS is associated with severity of disease and outcome. Objective: NTIS occurs frequently in foals with sepsis and is associated with sepsis score and outcome. Reverse T3 (rT3) concentrations will be increased in septic f...
Fowden AL, Forhead AJ, Ousey JC.In adapting to life ex utero, the foal encounters a number of physiological challenges. It has to assume the nutritional, respiratory and excretory functions of the placenta and activate full regulatory control over its own internal environment for the first time. To achieve this, there must be structural and functional changes to a wide range of tissues including several endocrine glands. In most species, including the horse, these maturational changes begin in late gestation and continue into the first few days of neonatal life. Consequently, during this perinatal period, there are major cha...
Nielsen MK, Vidyashankar AN, Olsen SN, Monrad J, Thamsborg SM.Nematodes belonging to the order Strongylida are ubiquitous in grazing horses, and the large strongyle Strongylus vulgaris is considered the most pathogenic. This parasite was originally described widely prevalent in equine establishments, but decades of frequent anthelmintic treatment appears to have reduced the prevalence dramatically. Increasing levels of anthelmintic resistance in cyathostomin parasites have led to implementation of selective therapy to reduce further development of resistance. It has been hypothesized that S. vulgaris could reoccur under these less intensive treatment cir...
Firestone SM, Cogger N, Ward MP, Toribio JA, Moloney BJ, Dhand NK.The influences of relative humidity and ambient temperature on the transmission of influenza A viruses have recently been established under controlled laboratory conditions. The interplay of meteorological factors during an actual influenza epidemic is less clear, and research into the contribution of wind to epidemic spread is scarce. By applying geostatistics and survival analysis to data from a large outbreak of equine influenza (A/H3N8), we quantified the association between hazard of infection and air temperature, relative humidity, rainfall, and wind velocity, whilst controlling for prem...
Becvarova I, Pleasant RS.Obesity - a common problem in pasture-based horses - warrants intervention because it is associated with an increased risk for development of laminitis. Treating obesity in pasture-based horses is relatively simple and generally involves reducing caloric intake by using grazing muzzles and/or increasing caloric expenditure through exercise. To prevent recurrence of obesity after weight loss, clients should be educated on how to monitor body condition and to adjust feeding and management programs to maintain proper body condition.
Kaye BM, Elliott CR, Jalim SL.Snail bait poisoning is rare in horses. Cases have been reported, but clinical signs and subsequent prognostic indicators have been poorly documented and must be extrapolated from cases in companion animals. We describe in detail the poisoning of a horse that consumed a lethal dose of the carbamate, methiocarb. There are currently no guidelines for treating equine methiocarb toxicoses, but the principles of management are based on supportive therapy.
Boening KJ, Leendertse IP.The medical records of pregnant mares over a 3-year period were reviewed. In all cases persistent pain or progressive abdominal distension were the main reason for referral. The overall survival rate for the 115 mares treated for colic was 73.9% (85 cases). The abortion rate was 20.5% in surgical patients (34 cases), 40% (5 cases) for mares with uterine torsions and 10.8% (46 cases) after medical treatment. The total abortion rate was 16.4%. Clinical evidence of endotoxaemia was, except for 1 mare, present in all the aborting mares after colic treatment. Anaesthesia did not appear to be a prob...
Kamus L, Theoret C.This article aims to help the practitioner by providing the tools to decide which type of closure or healing is best in a given situation. An overview of the main criteria and the different approaches to wound closure is presented. Each wound must be considered as a unique problem that requires a clinician to take into account all of its characteristics and limits to determine the best management approach.
Schmitt B.Vesicular stomatitis is an infrequent yet important vesicular disease of cattle, horses, and swine. Periodic outbreaks of this disease in the United States have caused economic losses in cattle herds because of decreased production, movement restrictions, and trade embargoes. Vesicular stomatitis causes clinical signs indistinguishable from those of foot-and-mouth disease. It is of utmost importance that appropriate samples are collected from clinical cases of vesicular disease in cattle and swine so a rapid laboratory diagnosis can be made.
Thiemann A, Foxcroft A.The UK public and veterinary profession often think of the equine charity sector as dealing with issues directly related to the UK equine population - overproduction, rehoming, shelter and welfare. However, the Donkey Sanctuary, like many UK-based equine charities, also works in Europe and further afield to try to address a much broader range of issues, as Alex Thiemann and Andy Foxcroft explain.
Gilkerson JR.The clinical symptoms observed during the 2007 equine influenza outbreak are compared and contrasted with those observed in overseas outbreaks and described in the veterinary literature.
Stull CL, Holcomb KE.Every state in the United States has regulations prohibiting acts of neglect and cruelty against animals. Local law enforcement and animal control agencies are responsible in many communities to enforce these statutes. As society's perception of horses has changed from their origin as livestock to companion animals in modern times, owners have transitioned their care and management. The goal of this study was to identify the role and capacities of local animal control services in the United States that investigate equine neglect, cruelty, and abandonment investigations and to identify challeng...
Van Galen G, Amory H, Busschers E, Cassart D, De Bruijn M, Gerber V, Keen J, Lefere L, Pitel CM, Marr C, Müller JM, Pineau X, Saegerman C....Atypical myopathy is an acute, severe rhabdomyolysis occurring in grazing horses. In the beginning of October 2009, a new outbreak occurred in several European countries. Geographic, demographic and clinical data of the reported cases in the month October 2009 are described. Results: The survival rate in this outbreak was 25%. The most frequently observed clinical signs were congested mucous membranes, dyspnea, tachycardia, depression, weakness, stiffness, recumbency, trembling, sweating, and myoglobinuria. Nonsurvivors were significantly more likely to be recumbent than survivors. Prognostic ...
Rossi TM, Moore A, O'Sullivan TL, Greer AL.Infectious respiratory disease is common in young horses and can impact athletic performance and long-term health. Significant variation in the duration of clinical disease has been observed, even in the absence of secondary complications. The determination of factors associated with disease chronicity may facilitate clinical decision-making and the development of improved biosecurity protocols. Objective: To investigate contact network characteristics, and demographic variables associated with time to clinical recovery from Equine Rhinitis A virus respiratory disease. Methods: Prospective coh...
David F, Cadby J, Bosch G, Brama P, van Weeren R, van Schie H.Larger superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries have a poorer prognosis than smaller lesions. During the inflammatory phase enlargement of the initial lesion is frequently noted, with biomechanical loading being recently proposed to play an important role. Objective: To evaluate the effect of lower limb cast immobilisation on tendon lesion propagation in an equine model of surgically induced SDFT injury. Methods: Core lesions were surgically induced in both front SDFTs of 6 young mature horses. At the end of surgery, one leg was randomly placed in a lower limb cast and the other leg (...
Seahorn TL, Schumacher J.Chondroid masses were successfully removed from the guttural pouches of 2 horses, using an endoscope, a snare, and a vacuum pump. This technique is an alternative to surgical removal of chondroid masses in patients when basic lavage of the affected guttural pouch is ineffective. Complications were not encountered. Advantages of this snare technique include avoidance of surgery and its potential complications, minimal recovery time, and minimal expense.
Crispin SM.Tear-deficient dry eye (keratoconjunctivitis sicca), and evaporative dry eye, with some overlap between these two categories, are two major categories of dry eye recognized in the horse. Careful examination of the eyelid margins, the inner and outer surfaces of the upper and lower eyelids, assessment of blink and third eyelid movement, specific testing of tear production, assessment of corneal sensitivity, and slit-lamp examination of the ocular surface before and after fluorescein dye application is recommended to detect dry eye problems. Rose Bengal dye application is also recommended in man...
Rogers AL.In early December 1986 A-equi-2 influenza virus was isolated for the first time in the Republic of South Africa. All horses were susceptible to the highly contagious aerosol-borne orthomyxovirus resulting in widespread outbreaks of equine influenza with typical primary respiratory symptoms. Treatment consisted of rest, anti-inflammatory drugs, antibiotics and good nursing. Future protection can be obtained by vaccination.
Trela JM, Dechant JE, Culp WT, Whitcomb MB, Palm CA, Nieto JE.To describe the successful management of a urethral stricture with an absorbable stent in a stallion. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: Stallion with a urethral stricture. Results: A 12-year-old Thoroughbred breeding stallion was evaluated for acute onset of colic. Uroperitoneum because of presumptive urinary bladder rupture, with urethral obstruction by a urethrolith, was diagnosed. The uroperitoneum was treated conservatively. The urethrolith was removed through a perineal urethrotomy. Approximately 15 weeks after urethrolith removal, the stallion presented with a urethral stricture. The st...
Spugnini EP, Bolaffio C, Scacco L, Baldi A.A twenty-year-old female saddle horse was referred for evaluation of a seven month, non-healing erosive lesion of the right hind hoof with proliferation and bleeding of the underlying soft tissues. This lesion had been twice surgically treated as a canker but rapidly recurred. Histological examination of the second excision revealed a well-differentiated squamous cell carcinoma. At presentation, the horse was mildly depressed, lame and partially non-weight-bearing on the right hind leg, which exhibited a 10 x 10 cm erosive and proliferative lesion remodeling the hoof. After completing staging ...
Mendez-Angulo JL, Tatarniuk DM, Ruiz I, Ernst N.To report long-term outcome in a mare that had extensive rostral mandibulectomy to remove an ameloblastoma. Methods: Clinical report. Methods: A 21-year-old mare. Methods: An ameloblastoma, located in the rostral aspect of the mandible, was removed by complete en-bloc resection of the tumor, removing most of the mandibular symphysis. Results: The day after surgery, the remaining mandibular symphysis (<5 mm) fractured causing marked instability of the hemi-mandibles. Partial wound dehiscence occurred 5 days after surgery; however, the mare was able to eat well and the incision healed within 2...
Sage AM.Almost all equine cardiac diseases may affect the geriatric horse. This article focuses on those cardiac diseases that are most common in the older horse, including degenerative valve disease, aortocardiac fistula, and congestive heart failure. Other cardiac diseases, such as bacterial endocarditis, pericarditis, and arrhythmias, are seen in all age groups of horses and are beyond the scope of this article.
Bookbinder L, Prisk A.Gastrointestinal colic is the most common primary care equine emergency and affects nearly one of four horses per year. Colic is a significant welfare concern for equine patients and a financial and emotional burden for owners. The primary care practitioner is instrumental in identifying critical cases quickly and making appropriate management recommendations to improve patient outcomes.
Debarbat F, Mollaret HH, Mailloux M.Bovine leptospirosis is a typical form in the island of Reunion. It appears during the second part of the rain season. The clinical picture of equine leptospirosis is acute hepatonephritis. About 10 serogroups are found in bovines, with greater frequency for Sejroë and Hebdomadis. In horses, the prevailing serogroups are Autumnalis, Ballum, Icterohaemorrhagiae, Australis, Grippotyphosa.
Anzai T, Kamada M, Niwa H, Eguchi M, Nishi H.Contagious equine metritis (CEM), a contagious venereal disease of horses, invaded Japan in 1980 and spread in the Thoroughbred population of the Hidaka-Iburi district of Hokkaido. To eradicate CEM, we ran a program aimed at detecting Taylorella equigenitalis, the causal agent, in carrier horses by using the PCR test, followed by culling or treatment. In 2001, the first year of the program, 12,356 Thoroughbred racing stallions and mares were tested and 11 carriers were found. Four, two, one, and one carrier mares were detected in 2002, 2003, 2004, and 2005, respectively, by application of the ...